Some people leave footprints on our heart.
Cats leave fur on our sweaters.
Dogs leave drool on our shoes.
Families will crap on our doorstep.
So when life gives you crap, garden it and make roses.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

I'VE THOUGHT OF THE CHILDREN

As one of the very last acts of the Howard Government, Brendan Nelson bought $14 million worth of cluster bombs - weapons that contain mini-bombs, some of which remain unexploded on the ground for years awaiting innocent civilians. It's the first time Australia has bought such a weapon, and one we would hope the new Government would categorically reject.

But right now, as the international community meets in Dublin to ban them, the new Australian Government is going out of its way to frustrate the process. They're calling for their 'SMART 155' bomb to be excluded, and for rogue nations who persist in using cluster bombs to be permitted to do so. We've got just a few scarce days left before the fragile international agreement is drafted. Sign the petition today telling Kevin Rudd to ban the bomb: no loopholes, no exceptions.http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/BanTheBombsThousands of civilians have lost their lives and limbs, mainly children from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon. So much so that the international symbol of the campaign is a limb. Just last week the Pope took the unusual step of calling on the international community to outlaw the deadly weapons.

But our government has refused to accept that a total ban on cluster munitions has to prohibit countries from assisting other nations who use cluster bombs. They are also arguing that the Smart 155 is not a cluster munition, despite having no independent tests on its safety and refusing to provide any evidence to back up that claim.

The UK Prime Minister yesterday reversed his decision to exempt his own weapons, leaving Australia increasingly isolated. We should be encouraging positive international agreements to save lives, not hindering them. Tell the PM today - as this decision is being made right now - to ban the bombs.I've already voted, click the link and add yours. Whatever Nelson gets now, he's got it coming after ordering these.

7 comments:

There was a great doco on 2 Aussie Vietnam Vets who fund raise to get landmine detectors to take over to Vietnam and who physically put themselves in danger, with a sole Vietnamese bloke, to eradicate the millions of landmines and bombs still killing and maiming innocent people in Vietnam.This Vietnamese bloke also runs an orphanage for many maimed children who are missing limbs from these same bombs.Bombs are bombs, nothing makes them SMART.They kill old, young, black and white just the same the world over.Bloody Nelson had no damn right buying these horrible things.

Didn't like Howard and like Rudd just as much - they're just show ponies something really cold about Rudd - almost reptilian - reminds me of a bland looking toad sory folks

last time whe Labor came in, pre election they said they'd get rid of Pine Gap or make it accessible to Government to go into - once in Bomber Beazley as defence minister toadied up to the Yanks and arms manufacturers big time libs labour - left and right wings - same birdie